With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many of you are already contemplating how you’re going to master the mashed potato. We all know that Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without it, so why not knock it out of the park this season? This year, I want you to try my version of this most popular Thanksgiving side dish. The herbed garlic mashed potato! Doesn’t that sound amazing already?
As an added bonus, be sure to read this post to the very end for more Thanksgiving-inspired side dishes below!
The key to the deliciousness of this mashed potato dish is the garlic-infused with herbs! I used to just slather my mashed potatoes in salt and butter every year, and don’t get me wrong, it tasted great. But I’m telling you, once you switch over to the herb-infused roasted garlic version, you will NEVER go back to just butter and salt.
There is still a little butter and salt in the recipe, just not as much. Extra virgin olive oil really takes the lead in these mashed potatoes and compliments the garlic and herbs perfectly. Roasting garlic can really change the outcome of many other recipes and it is so simple to do. Just follow these tips below.
Use a whole bulb of garlic
You might be surprised that using a whole bulb of garlic is the best way to roast it. I’ve heard people tell me “whoa that is waaay too much garlic.” However, once you roast it, the taste and texture of the garlic completely change. It becomes much milder, and sweeter, and brings any dish that calls for garlic to the next level! You could literally pop a whole garlic clove in your mouth and eat it no problem after roasting it. Just take the entire bulb of garlic and cut it in half to expose a cross-section of all of your garlic cloves. Leave the garlic skins on and everything.
Use a foil tent
Once you have your garlic bulb cut in half, place your halves on top of a sheet of tin foil. Drizzle your garlic with a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. At this point, you can add some herbs. I prefer basil, Italian oregano, and rosemary. I have used both fresh and dried herbs. Check out my post about saving your extra herbs via the air drying method here. If you don’t have any herbs, no worries, the olive oil and salt will do just fine! Your garlic will turn out delicious either way!
Roast garlic and herbs in the oven
Once your garlic and herbs are included, just crumble your foil around everything to make a little tent. Place the entire tent in the oven at 400 F and let it roast for about 30 to 40 minutes. There is NOTHING like slow-roasted garlic in olive oil, oh, and the added herbs? FORGET ABOUT IT! (insert wise guy face here)
Get ready for the best smell in the world
You will know when to take this garlic tent out of the oven because the smell will be just heavenly. The smell of roasted garlic takes me back to childhood. We used to drive over to my great-grandmother’s house and manga on some seriously good coastal Italian-style food. She usually had some kind of dish that required roasted garlic. I’ll never forget those days and I’m so grateful to have memories of her in the kitchen.
Remove the garlic cloves from the bulb
This part is so easy. Once you remove the garlic tent out of the oven, let it rest on the counter until it cools off. You should be able to handle all of the contents inside without burning yourself. Your garlic bulb cloves are super-soft because you already roasted them in the oven. All you need to do is squeeze the cloves out one by one! It’s that easy. I personally love to add the cloves to butter and mix it together. It makes the most amazing garlic spread on top of your favorite bread! In this case, we are using it in our famous herbed garlic mashed potato side dish!
Side note about the herbs
There is no need to throw the roasted herbs in the mixture. Chances are once you take the garlic tent out of the oven, many of the herbs will be burnt at this point. No worries though. The herb flavor has been infused into the garlic! Plus you will be able to garnish your potatoes with your herbs at the very end which makes this dish look that much more appealing. That being said, let’s get into the recipe, shall we?
Herbed Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Tin Foil
- Large Pot (about 5 qts)
- Vegetable Peeler
- Sharp Knife
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Potatoes I used red potatoes
- 1 Bulb Garlic
- 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2-3 tsp Dry or Fresh Herbs I use italian oregano, basil, and rosemary (optional)
- 1-2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Half and Half you can use milk or heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Get a large pot of water on high heat with a couple pinches of sea salt
- Pour one cup of half and half into a container and set aside. This will allow it to get to room tempurature
- Peel and cube your potatoes (about 1-2 inches thick)
- Once your water is at a rolling boil, place your cubed potatoes in water and let boil for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat if needed and leave the lid off the pot.
- Cut garlic bulb in half and place on sheet of tin foil.
- Drizzle garlic halves with olive oil and add a pintch of salt.
- Add about one teaspoon each of dry or fresh herbs.
- Tent garlic with the foil and roast in oven for about 30-40 minutes.
- Your potatoes are done once they are fork tender. Drain potatoes and place them back into the warm pot and mash them with your potato masher.
- Once garlic is done roasting, remove the tent from the oven and allow to rest on the counter top untill it is cool enough to handle.
- In a separate bowl, add two tablespoons of butter then squeeze softened garlic cloves into the bowl. The heat from the cloves will melt the butter. Mix all of this together.
- Add one teaspoon of salt one teaspoon of black pepper and one Tablespoon of olive oil to the butter mixture and stir.
- Carefully stir in the half and half to the butter mixtrue as well.
- Mix the garlic/butter/half and half mixture in with the mashed potatoes.
- Plate the potatoes in a serving dish drizzle with olive oil and top with herbs!
Herbed Garlic Mashed Potatoes Video tutorial on YouTube:
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More Thanksgiving side dishes!
Check out these exquisite thanksgiving side dish recipes from my fellow foodies below!
Rice Pilaf by Essentially Handmade | Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts by Vintage Kitchen Vixen | Herbed Garlic Mashed Potatoes by The Bluebonnet Homestead
Buttery Scalloped Corn by Hearty Sol | Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing by Farmhouse Basic Collection | Bordeaux Mushrooms by Our Amyable Farmhouse
Sweet Potato Stackers by Our Future Homestead | Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce by Our Gabled Home | Homemade Buttery Dinner Rolls by St. Martha’s Lens
Gluten Free Gravy by Life on Leetown | Rustic Dressing with Gravy by Homegrown Hopes
What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
Is there a side dish you must-have during the Thanksgiving holiday? Leave a comment below!
These mashed potatoes look great. A lot of the time we will throw in chopped onions and garlic in the water to boil with the potatoes, but I have never added roasted garlic or olive oil to my mashed potatoes. I will have to try it out as I roasted garlic not too long ago and it was pretty easy.
Yes!!! Absolutely give it a try!! I really love the idea of chopped onions in the potatoes too. I think I’ll try that myself!:)
Jen, my mouth is watering! I am soooo excited to try this out the next time I make mashed potatoes. I’ve made garlic mashed potatoes before, but roasting a bulb of garlic for the mash is genius.
Ahhh!! Girl I’m so glad you are going to give it a try. The roasted garlic is seriously next level. You will absolutely love it!!!
I’m such a sucker for mashed potatoes, and these look delish! I’m definitely adding this recipe to my Thanksgiving menu. Love that you keep your spices and herbs in mason jars too! It looks so much prettier in the cabinet, doesn’t it? 🙂
Me too! I feel like Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without it! I have a blog post on how I save my extra herbs from my garden and keep them in the cute mason jars. Its in the Garden section on the main blog page. I really hope you enjoy this recipe this Thanksgiving!